Utah Solves a Two-year Outbreak Mystery

Blocks of Queso Fresco Cheese

For over 2 years, public health officials in Utah struggled with a Salmonella outbreak linked to queso fresco. But by using FoodCORE resources to conduct an investigation training exercise, interdisciplinary teams identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella in queso fresco and determined who produced the cheese, thus solving the food safety mystery. Currently, Utah’s officials are working with regulatory and law enforcement partners to take action against the distributor to prevent future illnesses.